Science Smarts: Some Holiday science for the curious Christmas crowd
By Patty Rooks on November 25, 2023.
I do not know about you, but I have been bitten by the Holiday Bug! I am beginning to see signs of the Holiday Season around me everywhere; lights on houses, magical ornaments dancing across people’s lawns, trees and wreaths popping up in the stores. I will be honest, I absolutely love the Holiday Season as it means I am going to get to see my loved ones that will be coming home (in a few short weeks, but who is counting). Of course, there will be some downtime, so I thought I would share a fun activity to keep you thinking about science this Holiday Season. Let’s get started! *Remember to ask an adult before doing this experiment. Materials • Piece of paper • Straw • 2 L empty plastic bottle • Science helper Procedure 1. Make a small paper ball by scrunching up about ¼ sheet of paper. 2. Measure the ball to ensure it is the correct size – it should be able to fit loosely inside the mouth of the 2L bottle. 3. Lay the bottle on its side. 4. Place the paper ball in the mouth of the plastic bottle. 5. Have your science helper take the straw and point it at the ball in the mouth of the bottle. 6. Blow. 7. What happens? Explanation The ball of paper should have wiggled a LOT but it should not have been pushed inside of the bottle. It should have been blown right out! Not what you thought, right? When we blow things they usually go where we are blowing them and in this instance, inside the bottle. What is going on? Science, of course! This experiment has to do with air pressure. The secret lies in the plastic bottle. I know I may have tricked you as I asked you to make sure it was an empty 2L bottle. The bottle really is not empty though. Take a look at it, study it. What is in there? Air, of course! I know, you cannot see it, but it does exist and it makes a difference. You are trying to blow more air into the bottle, and it just will not let you. Instead of blowing air into the bottle, you are actually blowing it all around (that is why the ball of paper wiggles). By blowing you are creating an area of low pressure behind it. This area of low pressure results in the paper ball jumping right out of the bottle! If you want to learn more, do a bit of research on Bernoulli’s Principle. Patty Rooks, Senior Scientific Consultant PRAXIS, “Connecting Science To The Community”. Contact Praxis at praxis@praxismh.ca, http://www.praxismh.ca, Tweet or follow us @PraxisMedHat, or friend us on Facebook. We are located at: #12 826 11 Street S. E., Medicine Hat, Alberta, T1A 1T7 Phone: 403.527.5365 or email: praxis@praxismh.ca. 25-24
